On the Side of the Other Brother
by Jordan J. Smith
Summary: Starts mid-ep. 6. Hitomi MY way ^_^. If you don't like Folken, don't read. I don't know whether it's a V/H fic or F/H fic, so fans of both come read! WIP, R&R PLZ!!!(Can anyone think of a better title? I'm open to suggestions)
1. Episode 6: Capitol of Seperation

(A/N: Welcome to my very own version of "The Vision of Escaflowne", starting as of Episode 6: "Capitol of Intrigue". I'm too capitolistic to re- write the whole series and label it as such. The names will all be the same, but as you will soon notice, Hitomi isn't nearly as dense in my version as in the original [no offence to Hitomi fans, she's just too oppressed for my liking]. She doesn't have a crush on Allen, although she did at one point [I'll explain more later]. If I tell you any more in this bubble, I'll ruin the whole story. Now, down to essentials: words and/or sentences bracketed by this ~ are thoughts, and words/sentences bracketed by this * are emphasized, since I can't make the italics work on here . Now to the story ^_^)  
  
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The wood splintered and flew, the liquid metal dispersed, and Hitomi gingerly opened her eyes. She looked up at Folken, who was looking at a speck floating in the distance. She rolled off of Van, sitting up and looking around.  
  
"What was *that* for?!" Van shouted at her angrily as he stood. He brushed dust from his vest and pants as he stood, glowering at his brother.  
  
"I had nothing to do with the attack," Folken said calmly.  
  
"I just saved your *life* from a metal claw and *that's* all you have to say?!" Hitomi shot back hotly as she stood up, looking slightly down at Van. He turned his glower on her, and their eyes locked. She slapped him forcefully, leaving a large red bruise on his cheek. She stalked off towards Folken, not turning her head to look at Van.  
  
She looked up at the tall man in the long black cloak before bowing almost as low to him as she had to Amano; that felt like years ago. "I am Hitomi Kanzaki, and I will aide you and Zaibach as long as my efforts are duly appreciated."  
  
A cold metal hand delicately took her face, turning her face up. Folken was bowing to her, and he wanted her to see that. "I am Folken Strategos of Zaibach, and your offer is a great honor. Rise and come with me, Hitomi. Together, we will build a bright future for Gaea."  
  
"No Hitomi!! All he *does* is lie!! You can't trust him!" Vanwalked to the edge of the bridge as he yelled, obviously angry at Folken. "If you help Zaibach, we're all lost!"  
  
Hitomi rose and spun, facing Van as Asturian soldiers approached them tentatively. "All *you* and the others do is treat me like a tool! A weapon to be used to win this war. I don't *want* any of this, and what if Folken's right? If he can end war for all the planet, then why not help him? Besides, if you'd all *thanked me* a little more often, I might not be doing this! We'll never know, though, because the choices we make stick. Goodbye Van, I hope you realize that I *have* saved your life at least twice." She turned her back on him nd faced Folken again. "I'm ready to leave when you are, Folken-sama."  
  
He raised his right hand to her (A/N: In that Zaibach "I want YOU!" poster pose) and he smirked ever so slightly as she accepted. He led her to the black carriage and let her in after scooting in first. They pointedly ignored Van's shouts, and started towards the pick-up point for the Vione.  
  
~She has no idea how much her power will help our cause. . . how fortunate that she came to us willingly. Now the only problem is -  
  
"What will I be doing in Zaibach?"  
  
"I was just thinking about that myself," Folken answered truthfully. "I really don't know, we don't have anyone with you nartual abilities working for us at the moment. I'm sure Emperor Dornkirk will have an idea for you, though."  
  
His face showed no trace of emotion, just an occasional smirk, which made Hitomi feel a strange, strong attraction-repulsion. She pulled her pendant out of her pocket and held in her hand, closing her eyes tightly. ~Have I done the right thing? Will this help the way I want it to? Oh Grandma, I wish you could give me some advice.~  
  
Folken watched her curiously out ofthe corner of his eye. He jumped slightly when she gasped, opened her eyes and her pupils dialated. He turned slightly in his seat and watched her, making sure he could catch her if she fell over.  
  
She was suddenly floating above an arena that roughly resembled the Roman Colloseum. "It's Escaflowne, and it's going against *three* other guymelefs?" She turned herself around to face the people seated in the box. "Millerna? What's going on here?"  
  
The battle faded away, and she was suddenly standing on the ground in a mining site of some sort. ~Why can't these visions make more sense?~ she thought as she looked around.  
  
Van had been captured by a strange man with pink hair and a pet snake. He was tied up by his wrists and had been whiped a few times. Hitomi couldn't hear anything, but after watching Van's face flash with horror she re-directed her attention. "ME?!" she shouted as she saw herself being threatened by the snake. Van somehow got himself loose and began knocking out his opponents left and right. As he led herself and Meruru away, the ground shook and starte to break apart. She could see herself falling. "That's weird, I'm usually falling, not *watching* myself fall. . ."  
  
Van jumped from his secure ledge and sprouted wings, diving after her. "*HE'S* my angel?" The vision stopped shortly thereafter, and she found herself back in the carriage with Folken. "I'm sorry about that," she said weakly as she put the pendant back in her pocket and straightened herself in the seat.  
  
"It's quite alright," he told her calmly. "That special gift of yours is exactly why I'm taking you on. May I inquire as to what you saw?"  
  
She rubbed her eyes, leaning her elbows on her knees. "It was the future, I think. Some form of the future, anyways. I saw Van fighting in the Escaflowne against three other 'melefs in a stadium or colloseum. Then I saw something that I don't think will happen now, because I left. I don't know if it was right for me to come with you today."  
  
"Were you happy with where that path was leading you?"  
  
"Not really. Like I said, they were nice and all, but they treated me like an object, not a person with a soul and free will."  
  
"Then maybe it was right for you to come with me. You can only do what feels right when the choice is presented, even if later you regret it or others think it was wrong." He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.  
  
"Are you always this philosophical?" She asked while thinking to herself ~His eyes are so sad. . . . and beautiful in their own way.~  
  
He chuckled a bit, not openeing his eyes. "I suppose I am. I don't pay much attention to myself, so I might be more philisophical at some times than at others."  
  
Hitomi was about to ask him why he payed little attention to himself just as the coach stopped and the driver called back "We're here, Folken- sama."  
  
"Thank you Joeseph," Folken said as he motioned for Hitomi to wait. Joeseph opened her door and helped her out. He continued to hold the door as Folken got out, ducking considerably so as not to hit his head. "You may return the coach, horse, and go home until you are called," he ordered regally.  
  
"Yes, Folken-sama. Good day to you sir, ma'am." He tipped his hat to them and drove off.  
  
"What is it that *you* do in Zaibach, if I may ask." Hitomi asked as he escorted her to a transport ship that would take them to his floating fortress.  
  
"I design things for Emperor Dornkirk, like the stealth cloaks you seem to so readily see through," he said with a bow of his head and a slight smirk, closing his eyes. "For a long time I was training to be one of the Madoushi, the sorcers that do most of the truly experimental work. However, I disagreed with their methods and had to depart. The combined intensities of the positions get me a bit of respect in Zaibach."  
  
"I see," Hitomi said as she analyzed his soliliquy. ~He gets respect for good reason, yet feels he doesn't deserve it. . .hmm.~ She boarded the ship, which was to her surprise a supplies ship. She lloked around at the crates wide eyed, making Folken smirk ever so slightly.  
  
"I believe in making good use of such trips. Just because we're important doesn't mean it'll kill us to ride with the food supplies." He walked with his cloak held tightly shut and sat down on one of the stronger crates. Hitomi perched lightly on another crate and people bustled around her, preparing the ship for takeoff.  
  
"What's the name of the fortress we're going to?" Hitomi asked of Folken.  
  
"It's the *Vione*," he answered. "Be careful while you're getting settled in, I'm pretty sure someone there doesn't like you." He bowed his head, closed his eyes and smirked again.  
  
"Wonderful," she said to herself, resting her elbows on her knees again and looking around. ~What *have* I gotten myself into?~  
  
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(A/N: A very short chapter, I realize, but I *did* start it in the middle of the episode. If anyone shows *any* intrest in this at *all*, the other chapters will be much longer. And, in case you haven't noticed, I have a *serious* thing for Folken: I like my guys tall, pale, and brooding ^_^ He's so handsome! That said, doesn't this all make a *lot* more sense? Lol, review please!) 


	2. Episode 7: Barely Progessing

(A/N: 7 Reviews in the first 24 hours!!!!!!! ::sobs:: I feel so loved!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!! Thank you for the input, I'm really not sure at this point whether it's a V/H fic of a F/H fic, so bear with me whilst I decide. Pardon the spelling, punctiuation, and spacing errors in the first chapter: I wrote most of it at 11 pm O.o ::gets sleepy and goofy at 11 pm:: Anyways, because I feel so loved, here's the next chapter!! Yay! P.S.- This might be a bit weird as the functions of the *Vione* are never fully explored, and I plan to follow the footsteps of the series in my own odd way by continuing to write about Allen, Van, Millerna, and Meruru [aka Merle]. I like the way "Meruru" sounds when shouted much better than the way "Merle" sounds when shouted. I'm odd, what can I say? . . . . Shutting up now^_^)  
  
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Hitomi was now walking on the *Vione*, following Folken. There was bustling as men from 15 to 50 walked hurriedly to their destinations. "Why are there so many people here?" Hitomi asked herself absentmindedly.  
  
"This is basically a floating barracks, complete with a thousand or so soldiers, kitchen drudges, and everything else it takes to keep this thing floating. There's a lot that goes on here that even *I* don't know about, and I'm assuming that those jobs take people too." He was walking at full stride, making Hitomi follow at a hop-run.  
  
"I see," Hitomi said, not *really* seeing but trying to. She shook her head and slowed down, taking in more of the ship. It was blue metal, polished and streamline. It was utilitarian, making the most use of the available space for the necessities. As she walked, slightly dazed and considering how to get out when she ran into someone. "I'm sorry," she said out of reflex as she looked up.  
  
"YOU!?" They shouted at each other, one angry, one frightened. "What are *you* doing here, girl? Shouldn't you be off saving the boy-king's life or something?"  
  
Her face fell (A/N: Exactly the way it does in ep. #2 when she says "Great, first a wolf-man, and now a little cat-girl.") and she stood stock still. "Listen, I just defected, and I let my attention wander as I was following Folken-sama. I'm sorry I ran into you, and I don't belive I've ever heard your name."  
  
"I'm Dilandau Albatou, leader of the DragonSlayers. I'm aware of your reputation, so kindly never *touch* me again," he told her with a sneer.  
  
She snorted. "*Please*! Schezar? Ew! He's six years older than I am. Besides that, I only thought he was handsome because he reminded me of someone I knew. He initiated that kiss, and I've *never* touched him except for when he carried me away from fights and what-not. It's a pleasure to meet you on friendlier grounds, Dilandau-sama, I am Hitomi Kanzaki." She bowed to him and looked up the hall toward Folken, who was standing, waiting for her.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm sure. If you'll excuse me, I have *soldiers* to train." He stalked off after a final distasteful look in her direction. She watched him walk away and wondered how they managed to make or get vinyl on Gaea. She shook her head and walked towards Folken.  
  
"I'm hoping he's the only one who has a predisposition to hate me. Am I wrong?" She asked as she walked beside Folken, noting that he had slowed his pace.  
  
"As far as I'm aware no one else here has that much of a grudge against you." Folken informed her calmly, looking blankly ahead.  
  
"May I ask why?" She inquired as she looked at the various styles of armor on the men they passed. "And why haven't I seen any other women on this ship?"  
  
He smirked lightly again, and looked out of the corner of his eye at her. "You haven't seen any women here because there aren't many to be seen. As to Dilandau, well, he's very narcissitic, and blames *you* for the scar on his cheek. You *did* after all warn Van that someone was diving towards him." He chuckled almost unnoticably again.  
  
"I see." She sighed. ~I don't know *what* I'm supposed to be doing. Not that I knew what I was supposed to be doing *before* I switched sides.~ "Are you sure I won't just get in the way? You all seem to be a well-oiled machine, so to speak, and I don't know if I could fit in with the other cogs and gearsprings. Too many cogs can be just as bad as not enough, sometimes."  
  
(A/N: At this point, start playing "Shadow of Doubt" aka Folken's theme in your head or on a disc/music program if you can: it adds to the mood.) "We need everyone's help in our quest. If more people would be like you and join us, this whole war would be much easier. In fact, it might stop entirely. Our purpose is to rid the world of conflict, therfor if, say, ninety percent of the population were to join us, this war would end much more quickly and with far less pain and bloodshed." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, scanning her face to see if he was convincing her.  
  
"Pain and bloodshed are most defenately things I want to avoid." She looked sadly at the floor, remembering the tragedy of Fanelia. "Maybe I could help you by telling you my visions and how I think they can be avoided or encouraged, depending on the positive and negative aspects of the vision." She looked hopefully up at Folken, who smirked lightly.  
  
"That was the general idea. I was more worried about the minute details of your position with us. Things like clothing, who your direct superiors would be, where your quarters will be, your adjustment to our lifestyle and customs. I'm lso worried for your safety, what with Dilandau being so extremely against you and his Ryuugekitai being so absolutely devoted to him." (A/N: Ryuugekitai is the approximate Japanese word for Dragonslayers. And it sounds really cool^_^) He turned his head to look her squarely in the eyes as he continued to walk forward. "I fear for your safety now more than ever. Dilandau and the Ryuu' will most likely expect you to prove your loyalty, and that will be no easy task." He stopped, turning to face her. "They may try kill you, or make you kill yourself. Be careful around them," he told her quietly, a slight hin of emotion, worry, leaking into his eyes. He blinked, it was gone, and he went back to his placid calm.  
  
"I'll be careful around them, Folken-sama," Hitomi told him, very confused. He started walking again and she followed, watching his cloak billow as he moved.  
  
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They were all aboard the "Crusade" again. Millerna had gotten Allen, Van, Meruru, and the ship's crew out of prison and had successfully gotten aboard the ship herself. Allen was standing in his usual place on the bridge, with Gaddes behind him as he looked out the main window. His face was set with a frown and his gloved hands were firmly on his hips.  
  
Van was sitting to the side of the main deck, leaning against the window and absently petting Meruru's ears as she lay curled at his feet. ~I've lost her,~ he thought as he watched the trees pass by beneath them. ~So what do I do now? Should I try to find her? It'd be impossible, I don't know where she is and she's the only one who could help me find out.~ "Dammit," he whispered out loud, running his gloved hand through his hair and grabbing a fistfull at the top of his head. ~Maybe I should've thanked her. But what for? I know I was in the clear when I was fighting that dragon, there's no way it would have killed me. The invisible enemy? . . . . I guess she did save me during that fight in Fanelia.~ He sighed and lay own flat on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling.  
  
Meruru looked up at Van and scooted across the floor so she could curl around his side, laying her hed on his shoulder and wrapping her tail around his ankle. "Don't worry Van-sama, things will work out," she comforted as she played with one of the strings on his vest.  
  
"But what if they don't? I think I lost us our best chance at winning the war against Zaibach." He stroked her pink hair, taking off the glove on that hand so he could feel its familiar softness and sighed. He blinked back tears as he remembered a similar scene from his childhood when things were good and peaceful. He had broken one of Varie's hand mirrors when he was five and thought it was the end of the world. He'd been laying on her bedroom floor for an hour, all the while being cuddled by Meruru until Varie came in.  
  
She'd ignored the shards of mirror and gathered the small pair in her arms. She wiped the tears from Van's cheeks and kissed them. "What happened my little oji? Why are you crying so?"  
  
"I broke your hand mirror, mama," he answered tearfully. "I didn't mean it! Gomen nasai, mama. . ." he sniffled as he put his face against her neck.  
  
"It's alright, my little oji. I'll pick up the pieces and give them to a servant, I'm sure they know of someone who can melt down the glass so it can be used for something else." She kissed his forehead and set him and the silent Meruru on her bed to watch while she carefully put the pieces in a wastebasket and called a servant in to take it away. "All better little oji. Go outside and play with our little neko-ojo and don't worry about it anymore."  
  
She kissed them each on the forehead and shooed them out the door. They played tag in the lawn for a while and he had almost forgotten the mirror entirely.  
  
Now he was fifteen, and Varie wasn't there to pick up the pieces and make it "all better". So he lay, running his fingers through neko-ojo's hair and trying to be rational about the situation. ~Hitomi would want me to be calm and rational, so calm and rational I'll be,~ he thought firmly. "Do we have a destination," he asked, startling Allen and Gaddes considerably.  
  
"Why the sudden intrest highness," Allen asked as he looked at the boy sprawled out on the floor. "You haven't spoken to anyone but Meruru in almost wo days."  
  
"I've thought the same thoughts enough times to be sick of them, and now I want to take action. I want to know where we're going, why, and whether or not there's anyone there who can help me find Hitomi. Something about her not being here makes this all seem so futile." Van grimaced as he realized how stupid that sounded out loud.  
  
Allen snorted. "Looks like we have a lovesick king on our hands, Gaddes." He sighed and shook his head as he looked down at Van. "I miss her too, and you're right. There's something wrong about her not being here to guide us. All we know for certain at the moment is that Zaibach's headed for Freid. We'll find someone there, one of the monks maybe, and they will lead us to Hitomi hopefully. Do you plan on getting off the floor any time soon?"  
  
"No, not really. I plan on staying here until it's essentail to my survival to move," he answered sarcastically. "I'll get up in a while, I suppose."  
  
"Van-sama can stay here as long as he likes. Fanelia may be burned, but he *is* still a king, knight caeli," Meruru pitched in, not moving her head from Van's shoulder.  
  
Van and Gaddes snickered and Allen frowned deeply. "Fine then," he said tersley. "I'll speak when spoken to, catgirl." He muttered under his breath to himself, "She's lucky she's attached herself to royalty."  
  
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(A/N: Whaddaya think!? Allen's gotten a bit bitter, ne? And Van's gotten a bit less hot-headed ^_^ A few notes on nicknames - "oji" means "prince", "neko-ojo" means, according to me ['cause I'm the all-powerful author ^_^], "cat-princess". "Gomen nasai" means "I'm very sorry" [for those of you who don't already know] and I think that's it. If you have any questions, email me at the posted addy or at dilandaufangirl@hotmail.com Arigatou!! Ja ne until later!) 


	3. Episode 8: Visions and Planning

Disclaimer & Claimer: I own the idea (to the best of my knowledge), but I do not own any of the characters except RaiFen. I will be posting more soon (hopefully), but life happens and it usually sucks. On with the story.  
  
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They were bowing before young prince Chid. Van blushed as he was mistaken for Allen Schezar by the highness even younger than himself. Partly with embarrasment for Chid and partly with anger.  
  
"This is Van Fanel, King of Fanelia, nephew," Millerna said with a slight smile.  
  
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Van. Forgive my ignorance." Chid said in his small and royal way. "I have heard about the fate of your country, and I do hope that you will be able to return and rebuild it someday king Van." He told Van as he closed his eyes and bowed his head in mourning for those Fanelians who were killed.  
  
"Thank you for your sympathy your highness," Van answered Chid, staying bowed. "I hope that I'm able to rebuild Fanelia someday as well."  
  
"Well, until my Father returns, you are my guests and shall have whatever you require. You and your friends are welcome to have rooms within the palace. Voris will lead you to your rooms, and he will send a lesser servant out to the rest of your assembly. Aunt Millerna, you already know where your room is."  
  
"Thank you, Chid."  
  
"You're welcome, Aunt Millerna. May I see sir Allen soon?"  
  
"As soon as he is rested. He sustained a great injury, and it will be several days before he's recovered enough to speak." Millerna told her young nephew with a slight smile.  
  
"Thank you for your kindness, your majesty," Van said, standing after prince Chid.  
  
"Prince Chid," Van asked as he too rose. "Might you have someone in your realms with a second sight or something like that? I've lost someone very important to me, and I don't know how else I could find her."  
  
"I'll see if any of the current Priests are locators." Chid answered with a calm nod. "Good day to you all," he said, bowing slightly to them and walking out of the room.  
  
The large bearded man who had been behind Chid's shoulder walked up to Van. "Your higness," he said in a deep voice as he bowed. "I am Voris. Please come with me to your room. I have sent Drek to bring the others on your ship to other guest rooms." He was walking down hallways, leading Van to a beatiful room.  
  
He looked in awe at the high-ceilinged room with short tables and cushions around them, and a large, shallow pit in the floor with more cushions and blankets than even he had owned. There were tall windows facing east, letting the late morning sun stream in and making the gold trim around the room sparkle.  
  
"Thank you very much, Voris. This is a very nice room." Van stated, still awed at the extravagance.  
  
"There is no need to thank me, highness. All royalty is treated to such rooms here, even prisoners," he added with a mischievious chuckle.  
  
"Would you, if it isn't any trouble, let the little pink-haired catgirl know what room I'm in? She's sort of family, and she'll make quite a scene if she can't find me," he asked, a bit embarassed, as he rubbed the back of his head.  
  
"No trouble at all, highness. I'll go welcome the others as they come in, and tell the little pink-haired catgirl where to find you." He smiled at the idea of a catgirl, bowed, and walked out of the room.  
  
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"WHAT!?" was the cry that could be heard through half the ship, coming from the Ryuugekitai's training hall.  
  
"Calm down, all of you!" Dilandau snapped as he paced the room for a minute before walking out of the training hall and into his throne room. The Ryuu' followed thier leader into the large room, and all 15 of them got on thier knees in front of his throne, grumbling. "Just because the moon- bitch is here doesn't mean that she's staying . . ." he said with a smirk.  
  
"Dilandau-sama . . .?" a short, slender, young Ryuu' asked. Large blue eyes looked up at him, framed by purple hair and pale, almost too thin cheeks.  
  
"What is it now, RaiFen?" He stroked his scarred cheek and looked down, mildly annoyed.  
  
"I was just wondering . . . will we kill her . . . or just make her wish she were dead?" The youngest of the Ryuugekitai smirked, an evil smirk reminiscent of Dilandau's own, and a slight fire burned within those aqua eyes.  
  
Dilandau smiled down at her, a similar evil in his mouth and eyes. "Dear little sister, you took the question straight from my mind." He threw his head back and laughed, motioning for her to come up to the dias where his throne sat.  
  
She stood and walked up to his throne, siting at his left side and leaning her head against his leg. She smiled happily and closed her eyes as her "brother" ran his fingers through her long hair. "It would be fun to just kill her outright," RaiFen told her brother quietly, "but I doubt it would be wise . . . you can hardly rule Zaibach if they throw you out of the Army."  
  
"A very good point, Rai," he answered her quietly. "So," he said to the room in general, "we will make the moon-bitch wish she were dead, or at leaast make her leave our forces. Perhaps if we're lucky, we can make her commit suicide." He smirked lightly, raising his right hand to stroke his scar, his left hand still in RaiFen's hair. "We'll make her pay for my face . . . in fact, we can use her to make the boy-king suffer," he said with a smirk of realization.  
  
The other Ryuugekitai bowed thier heads in agreement. However, most of them weren't sure that it was a good idea to try and do anything to Hitomi . . . she was powerful without trying to be, and that frightened them. Only Viole, Rune, Alek, and Rori seemed to have the same enthusiam for torture as Dilandau and RaiFen. They were thus a bit outcast from the other 10 slayers. It didn't dampen thier spirits, and as long as RaiFen had her brother, Migel, and Gatty, she could care less what anyone else thought of her.  
  
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Hitomi was in a room on the Vionne, looking at the blank walls and mid-sized bed, table, bookshelf with dusty old tomes, and a light in the ceiling that reminded her of the fluorescent lights on Earth. She touched a wall and got flashes of the meeting of the Ryuugekitai in Dilandau's throne room on the other side of the ship.  
  
~I wonder who that girl with Dilandau is?~ she thought to herself. ~I'll probably have to avoid her too. Great, just great. I started on the other "side" and now I've got a slew of enemies within arms reach.~ She sat on the bed and put her necklace back on and held the jewel in her palm.  
  
She saw Van in a room with a man in orange robes, looking like a Tibetan monk of Earth. They were scrying over a map, with incense and candles burning around them. Van's eyes were tightly closed, and he was focusing on . . . ~Me? He wants to find me now, huh?~ She blocked out her thoughts to him and made herself as invisible as she could.  
  
Folken came into view, walking around his quarters a few halls down from her. ~He looks so sad and alone,~ she thought as she looked at him carefully. The picture flashed, and he was dying with the tip of a sword in his chest. There was a look of shock on his face as he fell, his majestic black wings losing feathers quickly and he hit the tiled ground with a thud.  
  
Hitomi shrieked as she watched him dying, and saw herself running to his side, screaming and crying. She could tell that he had sacrificed himself to win the war, but the victory didn't matter because Folken had died. She watched herself kiss him softly just before the life left his eyes. She fainted, the power of the onslaught of visions knocking her out.  
  
She woke sometime later, Folken hovering above her. "How long ago did I go under?" she asked as she sat up, rubbing her head.  
  
"You might not want to do that just yet," he said in a compassionate and doctoring way. he reached out with his good hand and pushed the hair back from her forehead, looking into her eyes. "Follow my claw," he said with a wry smile as he pulled back his good hand and moved his claw around her field of vision.  
  
"Why are you doing all this," she asked him curiously. Her head ached, but she didn't think it was anything serious. She wondered at why she felt so calm with him, like he could protect her from everything.  
  
He smiled at her lightly, warmly, only the corners of his mouth moving. "I heard you scream, and considering I brought you here, I feel it's up to me to take care of you while you get settled. Besides, I wouldn't trust you with the medical staff on this ship." He gathered his cloak in front of his hips and sat on her bed. "May I ask what made you faint?"  
  
She blushed a bit. "I had a lot of visions . . . four in a row. I don't think that's ever happened before, and it was a bit too much for me to deal with. You didn't answer my first question though. How long have I been unconcious?"  
  
"Sorry, you've been asleep for an hour and a half. What were the four visions you had? Anything useful?" He looked at her, tilting his head ever so slightly, his eyes barely questioning.  
  
"The first one waas Dilandau and his Ryuugekitai . . . they were plotting something, maybe about me. That'd be why I saw it, I guess. Then I saw Van with a priest in orange robes scrying for me, and last I saw . . . you. First here, walking through your room, then somewhere else . . . a big room, with scaffolding and machinery." She looked into her lap and clutched the hem of skirt. "I saw you die . . ."  
  
He watched, and ever so slightly quirked a brow as she trailed off. "That is very useful, at least to me. If you can talk about it, how did I die? Do you know when it was? Where it was?" He turned and put his good hand barely on her shoulder as he looked at her.  
  
"I don't know when it was, but it was in the future, and some room in Zaibach. I think you won the war, but I know I felt like that didn't matter. You killed someone, it might've only removed him from the equation of the war . . . I think we won, but it wasn't very detailed . . . ." she blushed harder. ~The only thing that was really detailed about that one was the fact that I . . . . loved Folken-sama. I kissed him, and I didn't want him to die.~  
  
"Is that all?" he asked quietly.  
  
"No. You died because a piece of sword broke from something, and flew back into your chest, very . . ." she paused and sighed, "very close to your heart. You were high in the air, and your wings were out, black, and you fell backwards shortly after the blade hit you."  
  
Surprise flooded his face for a micro-second before going back to its usual calm. "If you see more about that, let me know. I might like to avoid my death at some point." He stood again and lingered by her bed. "Don't tell anyone else on the ship about my wings," he asked with embarassed quiet. "As I'm sure Van has failed to tell you, our people, the Draconians, are not welcomed amongst the Gaeans."  
  
"Don't worry, Folken-sama, I will keep your secret. I'll be fine on my own, for a while at least, and I'm sure you have things to do." She looked up at him. "Be careful," she too pleaded quietly. "I don't think I'd be safe on the Vionne without you here to keep Dilandau in check."  
  
He smirked slightly again. "I don't think your vision will fulfill itself anytime soon, and I'll be sure to give you fair warning before I leave the Vionne." He bowed his head to her and closed his eyes before turning to walk out of the room.  
  
Hitomi lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. ~What *have* I gotten myself into?! What's going on with me, on top of things? I used to think I felt this way about Amano, then Allen, then Van, and now Folken. Well, I know I still love Amano, I always will, but Allen and Van . . . they're so strange. Folken's strange too, but . . . oh, I don't even know what I mean any more!~  
  
She rolled over and got herself comfortble in he bed. ~Maybe sleep'll help. It'll at least shut my brain up for a while . . .~ She closed her eyes and dozed off, pleasantly unaware of what was sneaking into her room. 


End file.
